However, much of the prejudice that exists against concrete is due to
its usual ugly appearance, which is no fault of the material but of the
one who built with it. We see too much concrete that is dull, pasty,
and gray, and marred on the surface with cobweb lines of cracks; but
this need not be. Concrete surfaces can be made as brilliant as any
other material by properly treating it. All that is needed to do this
is to carefully study the methods of producing textures, and texture is
nothing more than breaking up the surface into small patches of light
and dark, so intermingled that they give interest. For example, after
the forms have been removed, the outside of the concrete can be covered
with cement mortar, thrown onto it with a whisk-broom, which will make
the mortar stick to the surface in little lumps and hills. The light
playing over such a surface will cast shadows in the hollows between
the lumps and light up the tops of the lumps. This will give a texture
of interest that is pleasing to the eye. On the other hand, the cement
mortar may be plastered over the surface of the concrete and used as
a sticking bed to hold small pebbles of different colors and shades
thrown against it. These pebbles will be colorful, some dark and dull
and some light or sparkling like glass. Thus a play of broken light
will be thrown back from the surface to the eye, and the observer will
be pleased. Then, too, the outer layer of the cement, which was next
to the forms, may be composed of white cement and some aggregate like
small chips of marble. When the forms are removed it will be found that
this beautiful aggregate will not show, but the entire surface will
partake of the monotonous white or gray of the cement. However, if this
thin coating of cement is removed, then the variety and sparkle of the
aggregate below will be revealed. This might be done by striking the
surface all over with a stone-cutting tool which is used to surface
stones, or it might be done by a scrubbing or rubbing with carborundum
blocks. There are innumerable ways by which texture can be developed
on anything made of concrete, and experimenting in this line is a
most fascinating employment. For this reason, if properly handled,
concrete is particularly adapted to the making of all kinds of house
accessories, since it is also easily shaped in moulds.
[Illustration: Finish made by the Pointer